Our tips when travelling with pets

While it is best to never travel with your pets, these 8 tips will make their trip as easy as possible

Don’t travel with your pets if you don’t have to. The stress of long distance travel is harder on them – especially if they are not used to it – than it is on you.

But if there are times when you really have to take them on a trip (or you just can’t bear leaving them behind), here are our travel tips to mitigate the stressful effects of travelling on your pets.

Make sure that your pet will have a place to stay once you reach your destination. Don’t assume that just because you are welcome, your pet will be too. Inquire from the hotel or resort if they allow pets to stay with you.

If they do, in which part of the hotel premises are the pets allowed? And if you are bringing along a dog you need to make sure that it is allowed on the grounds for its daily walks. If you are bringing along a cat, make sure that you will be given a secure rooms where it can’t find an escape route.

When flying, you will want to make prior arrangements as to the process of transporting a pet. Allowing pets in the cabin with their owners is rarely offered, if at all, by airlines. So, you need to make sure that your pets will be well taken care of during the period that you are separated from each other.

If you are expecting to suffer jet lag once at your destination, most likely your pet will suffer from the same condition too. The tips on avoiding jet lag do not just apply to humans; do the same for your pets to prevent them from getting sick.

It isn’t recommended that you take your pets along on a long-distance bus trip. It is much better, for their welfare, if you simply take your car.

If you are travelling during warm or hot weather, you will need to keep your pets cool as much as possible. They don’t adapt well to heat like we do; they don’t sweat and their fur intensifies the heat even more.

Your car’s air-conditioning may not be sufficient to keep them cool. If your pet is panting or wheezing, you may need to place them on a block of ice covered with a piece of cloth. Check on them every once in a while to ensure that they are cool but not cold. A steady supply of drinking water is also good to help regulate their body temperature.

When taking your pets for a walk to do their business, never be tempted to take them off the leash. They may run away to chase after squirrels or towards traffic. They can also get into fights with other animals. This is even truer for cats, which have a habit of listening to you when you call them back but will run away to find your house, which would be rather difficult if you are on another continent.